Customer Reviews

The Heavens Proclaim: Astronomy and the Vatican

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I recently received an e-mail from Amazon.com inviting me to write a review for a book I had purchased from them, "The Heavens Proclaim." I am delighted to oblige. 1.) because it's a great book. 2.) because it's edited by my son, Brother Guy Consolmagno of the Vatican Observatory.

As a collection of articles on various aspects of astronomy by a dozen astronomers, the book is the equivalent of an overview college course on the subject. It also explains the Vatican's centuries-old interest in Astronomy. The book is a large coffee-table tome, beautifully printed and stunningly illistrated. it cost me $26 from Amazon. And Guy's tuition at MIT.

The Heavens Proclaim provides a simply beautiful depiction of the heavens and the work of the Vatican Observatory. I believe others will find it interesting to know that the Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical institutes in the world. The book covers the unexplored frontiers and even if we can't go there, quite a few people love to read and daydream about the universe as it opens our minds and hearts to the Creator.

I found this book engaging as Brother Guy delves in the past and most recent discoveries, concepts and technology, exploring the ever-evolving interpretations of the universe and existence and how the Vatican embraces this science. Whether you'll be at the beach or armchair traveling this summer, this is a great book to take along with you and learn more about the role which astronomy plays in the creation of the heavens.

I will admit, I am a little bias. I am a practicing Roman Catholic and a self-proclaimed amateur astronomer.

However, I think this book is incredible. It was put together well with gorgeous pictures taken from the Vatican's observatory.

It does not force one to to believe one way or the other, but it does show how religion and science can co-exist in a

symbiotic relationship....it blends the two, well.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone who practices their faith regardless if you are Catholic.

I bought this for my dad for Christmas and he seems to like it. I saw the author on The Colbert Report and thought, "hey, my dad is both a devout Catholic and an astronomy enthusiast". It's more of a coffee table book but I was impressed by the author and thought it would be right up Dad's alley. He tells me it was a great choice so I guess I can recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy, the Vatican, or a Catholic perspective on the Universe.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my wife. The book is beautiful as everybody else has indicated and my wife states that it is a good read and interesting. She likes the book as it combines her interests in science and faith

That being said, my wife who has considered becoming a copy editor, is constantly reading sentences to me from the book with the prefix, "What is wrong with this sentence?" In all honesty, *I* would have never picked up on the errors, but if you are a linguistic savant, you might be bothered by some of the issues that bothers her. Overall she is happy with the book, but as she put it, "it's a shame that such a beautiful book is tarnished by such poor copy editing."

AN EXCELLENT READ. ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT THE HARD WORK OF THE JESUITS. MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND DISCOVERIES WITH THE TWO OBSERVATORIES.PLEASE CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR SUMMER SCHOOL ASTRONOMY CLASSES.

An interesting history of the Vatican Observatory. The articles are informative and inspiring, the pictures are

exquisitely beautiful.